Daniil Kasatkin, a 26-year-old Russian professional basketball player, was arrested at Charles de Gaulle Airport outside Paris on June 21 on charges of “conspiracy to commit computer fraud” and “computer fraud conspiracy.” Kasatkin is accused of being part of an unnamed ransomware gang operating between 2020 and 2022, hitting almost 900 organisations, including two US federal agencies.
Kasatkin has been arrested by French authorities at the request of the US, claims Agence France-Presse (AFP). In the meantime, the Russian embassy in France has issued a public complaint claiming that local authorities are blocking attempts to meet with the player. Frédéric Bélot, Kasatkin’s French lawyer, has also claimed innocence, stating that he “bought a second-hand computer. He did absolutely nothing. He’s stunned.”
Kasatkin’s lawyer explained that he’s not very good with computers and struggles to even install an application. The defense is that either his computer was hacked, or a hacker sold it to him to cover their tracks and incriminate another person in their place.
Bélot also pleaded for Kastkin’s bail, referring to the impact of detention on his physical condition, specifically his muscle mass, which could risk gravely compromising the rest of his career. Living conditions in prisons are nowhere near what a professional athlete would require. Additionally, Kasatkin also doesn’t feel safe in prison because of Russia’s conflict with Ukraine.
Vladimir Sarukhanov, another lawyer acting on behalf of the basketball player, told Russian news outlet Izvestia that Kasatkin was accused of acting as a ransomware negotiator. However, Sarukhanov claims to have an “ironclad alibi” for the charge, complaining that French authorities were acting too slow in checking evidence against the player.
Working as a ransomware negotiator, or in tandem with a cybercrime group, would require significant knowledge and skill with computers, which looks unlikely in Kasatkin’s case, as per his lawyers’ pleas. The US is yet to release a statement or evidence of any crimes, and The Register reports that the Department of Justice had no comment at the time of going to press.
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